Professionally accredited

Overview

Chemistry at Imperial is designed to produce chemists of the highest calibre, who are capable of pursuing a career in the chemical sciences.

All of our Chemistry courses are professionally accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry and cover modules in inorganic, organic and physical chemistry in all years of study.

Years one and two of all of our chemistry courses follow the same core lecture module content supplemented by two ancillary modules. These modules are not always chemistry modules, and have been chosen to support specific degree programmes.

Language for science

This degree allows you to combine your training in chemistry with study of the French language. These classes, taught in French by the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communication, focus on the use and presentation of written and oral scientific and technical material in French.

You will also receive an introduction to the theory and practice of translation, alongside further studies in the history, politics, science and technology of French-speaking countries.

You spend your final year studying at a university in France. We currently have exchange agreements with the following French institutions:

École Polytechnique, Palaiseau

École Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de Paris

École Normale Supérieur, Paris

Normally students who achieve an average second year mark of at least 65% and achieve at least 40% in the modules Chemistry Coursework 3 for Linguists, French Language and French Translation, will be eligible for the year abroad.

Laboratory experience

All of our Chemistry courses include a high level of laboratory experience, designed to develop the practical, analytical and theoretical skills required to work in the sector.

You will take part in a wide range of laboratory-based activities in the Department, which vary from year two depending on which course you choose.

As well as traditional synthetic chemistry labs, you will also be trained in measurement science, analytical chemistry and molecular modelling, helping you gain confidence in applying a large number of different experimental techniques.

You will also take part in theoretical and mathematical methods laboratories, workshops and IT laboratories.

White City Campus

The Department of Chemistry is currently based at Imperial's South Kensington Campus. From 2018, it will also occupy the Molecular Sciences Research Hub on the College's brand new White City Campus. This will provide us with state-of-the-art research facilities and exciting opportunities for collaboration with industry.

Final-year undergraduate projects and some third- and fourth-year lectures will take place at White City. A free shuttle bus service runs between the campuses.

BSc or MSci?

We offer both Master in Science (MSci) degrees and Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees.

Our MSci degrees cover more in-depth chemistry study than our BSc degrees, making them more suited to students who are considering a career in research or who may wish to progress to further study such as a PhD.

Our MSci degrees also include a substantial individual project in the final year, which gives you the chance to work in a research environment; you also engage with more advanced research-led lecture modules.

Transfer between degrees

Years one and two of our Chemistry degrees follow the same core course content, supplemented by optional modules designed to match your chosen course of study. This structure offers you the opportunity to transfer between Chemistry degrees at a later stage providing you have studied the appropriate optional subjects, and as such you should apply to only one degree within the Department of Chemistry.

You may need to meet a certain academic standard to be eligible for placements in industry or abroad.

If you are an international student, transferring to a different course could have an impact on your Tier 4 visa. Please visit our International Student Support webpage for further information.

Structure

Please note that the curriculum of this course is currently being reviewed as part of a College-wide process to introduce a standardised modular structure. As a result, the content and assessment structures of this course may change for your year of entry. We therefore recommend that you check this course page before finalising your application and after submitting it as we will aim to update this page as soon as any changes are ratified by the College.

Find out more about the limited circumstances in which we may need to make changes to or in relation to our courses, the type of changes we may make and how we will tell you about changes we have made.

Year 1

Core modules

Chemistry Coursework 1

Inorganic Chemistry 1

Introduction to Chemistry

Organic Chemistry 1

Physical Chemistry 1

Language modules

French Language for Science (Level 4)

French History and Politics

Year 2

Core modules

Chemistry Coursework 2

Inorganic Chemistry 2

Organic Chemistry 2

Physical Chemistry 2

Language modules

French Language for Science (Level 5)

Science and Technology French Course

Year 3

Core modules

Advanced Chemistry

Advanced Chemistry Research Topics

Chemistry Coursework 3 for Linguists

Language modules

French Language for Science (Level 6)

French Scientific and Technical Translation with Translation Technology

Year Abroad

CORE MODULES

Chemistry coursework 4 (Abroad)

Language Project

Year Abroad

You spend this academic year (October–May) at a leading institution abroad, attending lectures and completing a Chemistry research project.

You will also complete a Chemistry language project. This is a non-scientific project focusing on a topic of current interest in the politics, economics, history or culture of your host country.

Please note that places on study abroad courses are limited and therefore not guaranteed. You may need to meet a certain academic standard to be eligible for selection.

Please note the above is an illustrative list of universities located abroad which the Department is currently partnered with. Partnerships with universities are subject to continuous review and individual partnerships may or may not be renewed.

There may be limitations placed upon your ability to live and study in these locations. If applicable you will need to successfully apply for the relevant visa. This applies to all students, including Home students, in light of the vote for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union.

Download the programme specification [PDF] – this is the most up-to-date version available for this course. It may change for your year of entry. If/when changes to this course are approved by the College, we will update this document and the information on this course page.

Professional accreditation

In the global market, chemistry graduates are increasingly mobile with employers looking for the best graduates across international markets. The Royal Society of Chemistry accreditation is respected around the world and helps students, parents and advisers choose high quality degree programmes which address the needs of both employers and students.

Our MSci degrees fully satisfy the RSC's academic requirement for professional registration as a Chartered Chemist (CChem). A CChem is an internationally recognised qualification earned by professionals working in the chemical sciences, which can lead to higher earning potential and better career prospects.

Our accreditation agreement with the Royal Society of Chemistry is renewed every five years.

The current accreditation agreement is due to be renewed for students starting their studies in the 2020–21 academic year. The Department expects to be accredited into the future.

Associateship

As well as your main Imperial degree, you will also receive the award of the Associateship of the Royal College of Science (ARCS) on completion of this course.

The Royal College of Science is one of three historic Colleges that came together to form Imperial College London in 1907.

Language for Science

Staff expertise

At Imperial, you will be taught by a range of teachers of all levels from Professors to PhD students, including some who undertake groundbreaking research and are regarded as experts in their field.

You may also experience peer teaching and be taught by specialists external to the College.

Compare this course

See how this course compares with similar courses at different institutions using the Unistats information below.

You can use the Unistats website to find out how this course compares in areas such as student satisfaction and what our graduates are doing six months after completing this course.

Entry requirements

We welcome students from all over the world and consider all applicants on an individual basis – see selection process below.

For advice on the requirements for the qualifications listed here please contact the Department (see Contact us).

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. If the requirements for your qualifications are not listed here, please see our academic requirements by country page for guidance on which qualifications we accept.

A-levels

Minimum entry standards

Our minimum entry standard for 2019 entry is AAA overall, to include:

A*/A in Chemistry

A*/A in Mathematics

A in another subject (Physics, Biology or Economics is preferred)

General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted.

Typical offer range

As a guide, here are the typical offers made in 2017 to at least 85% of applicants studying A-levels:

Three A-level offer: A*AA–A*A*A

Practical endorsement (practical science assessment)

If you are made an offer you will be required to achieve a pass in the practical endorsement in all science subjects that form part of the offer.

The practical endorsement is part of the reformed English linear A-levels.

Language requirement

Study of the appropriate language to at least AS level grade B is required.

International Baccalaureate

Minimum entry standards

6 in a third subject at higher level (Biology, Economics or Physics is preferred)

Typical offer range

As a guide, the typical offer made in 2017 to at least 85% of applicants studying IB was 38–39 pointsoverall.

Language requirement

Study of the appropriate language to at least AS level grade B is required.

Mathematics Higher Level for award in 2021

For entry in 2021, the Mathematics Analysis and Approaches or the Applications and Interpretation syllabi will be accepted at higher level with no preference.

Advanced Placements

The grades detailed below are the minimum requirements for students offering only Advanced Placements as their exams for entry to Imperial.

If you are studying a High School Diploma that is accepted by Imperial alongside Advanced Placements, requirements may apply to both your Diploma and Advanced Placements.

Please consult our country index to check whether we accept your High School Diploma programme for admission.

Our minimum requirement for this course is grades 5, 5, 5 to include:

5 in Chemistry

5 in Calculus BC

5 in another subject

Language requirement

You must also achieve at least grade 4 in the relevant language.

Selection process

Assessing your application

Admissions Tutors consider all the evidence available during our rigorous selection process and the College flags key information providing assessors with a more complete picture of the educational and social circumstances relevant to the applicant.

Some applicants may be set lower offers and some more challenging ones. It is the College’s policy to not make offers below three A’s at A-level in relevant subjects, 38 IB points with at least a grade 6 at higher level in relevant subjects, or their equivalent.

A typical range of offers made by this Department in 2017 (encompassing at least 85% of applicants who studied A-level or IB) is shown above.

Post-application open day and interview

If your UCAS application indicates that you are likely to satisfy our requirements and you live within reasonable travelling distance of the College you will be invited to visit the Department.

After a talk by the admissions tutor about the College, the structure of the course and other opportunities available you will experience a lecture given by one of our academics, highlighting the breadth and depth of research being conducted in the department and the way in which undergraduates have contributed to this research. You will have the chance to talk to current undergraduates over lunch and will be taken on a tour of the department and College.

Each applicant will be interviewed individually in the afternoon. The interview will comprise a discussion with two academics who will be looking to assess an applicant’s motivation for studying chemistry and their potential for the future.

Although the discussion may begin with topics mentioned in the UCAS personal statement, the conversations will likely expand to cover topics that the applicant may not be so familiar with, this enables the panel to observe how an applicant thinks and how they reason their way through a problem.

The interview teams are highly experienced and are able to see through nerves and silly mistakes so you should not worry about answering the questions, there are no trick questions, if an answer seems obvious it might be just that.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Department of Chemistry have put together a list of frequently asked questions that often arise during the admissions process.

English language requirement (all applicants)

All candidates must demonstrate a minimum level of English language proficiency for admission to the College.

Tuition fees (Home and EU students)

The UK government has confirmed that EU students entering the university in 2019 will continue to pay the Home rate of tuition for the duration of their course.

Please note that the fee you pay may increase annually by an amount linked to inflation and approved by Parliament under the Student Fees (Inflation Index) Regulations 2006 – currently the measure of inflation used is the RPIX.

Government funding

If you're a Home student, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the UK government to cover the entire cost of tuition for every year of your course.

You can also apply for a means-tested Maintenance Loan to help towards your living costs.

The UK government has confirmed that access to government funding will remain unchanged for EU students entering the university in 2019 throughout the duration of their course. This includes access to the Tuition Fee Loan for EU students who have resided in the European Economic Area for at least three years prior to study, and access to the Maintenance Loan for EU students have been resident in the UK for at least five years.

Tuition fees (Overseas and Islands students)

The tuition fees for Overseas and Islands students are set by Imperial College London.

You should expect and budget for your tuition fee increasing each year by an inflationary amount. The measure of inflation used will be the Retail Price Index (RPI) value in the April of the calendar year in which the academic session starts e.g. the RPI value in April 2019 will apply to fees for the academic year 2019–2020.

Additional course costs

This section outlines any additional costs relevant to this course, which are not included in your tuition fees. It is possible that all, or only some, of these will be relevant to you.

Please note that the figures provided are usually based on the cost in the most recent academic year. These are likely to change from year to year. However, it is useful for you to be aware of the types of things you may have to pay for and their approximate cost to help you budget for student life at Imperial.

This section indicates whether any additional costs that apply are mandatory or optional. Mandatory costs are those that you will need to pay to fully participate in and complete your studies. Optional costs are not essential to your studies so you will be free to opt out of these.

Summary

Description

Mandatory/optional

Guide to cost

Equipment (course materials)

Mandatory

Provided

Personal Protective Equipment

Mandatory

Provided

Please review the information below for more information on the costs listed in the table.

Lab equipment and materials

The Department provides the materials you will need in the laboratory, such as glassware (with no replacement charge for breakages), printed laboratory manuals and chemicals.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Wearing personal protective equipment is compulsory for some activities on this course. Where this applies, the Department of Chemistry will provide you with the necessary PPE free of charge to ensure you can undertake lab work safely. This includes:

Gloves

Lab coat

Safety spectacles*

* we do not usually provide prescription spectacles

Lost items

If you lose an item, such as your lab coat, you will be required to pay a fee to cover the cost of its replacement.

We will charge you the same amount that we originally paid for the item. This fee is donated to ChemSoc, the student-run departmental society, to help to support their activities.

You will not be charged for a replacement if it is for another reason, such as theft or as a result of the item becoming worn out.

Accommodation and living costs

Living costs, including accommodation, are not included in your tuition fees.

Over 90 per cent of Imperial undergraduates choose to live in our halls of residence in their first year. You can compare costs across our different accommodation options on our Accommodation website.

A rough guide to what you might expect to spend to live in reasonable comfort in London is available on our Fees and Funding website.

Careers

Chemistry graduates are recruited into practically every branch of industry. About half of our graduates pursue a PhD, while others work in roles as diverse as industrial development, production and quality control of processes, marketing, and teaching. Importantly, our MSci programmes ensure that our degrees are recognised throughout Europe, where longer undergraduate degree programmes are the norm.

Order a prospectus

Further information

Living in London

London’s creative energy and cultural vibrancy delivers a student experience unlike any other. Our first-year accommodation guarantee means that you'll have the perfect base from which to explore this exciting city.